Maslow’s Hierarchy of Guilds

Werkkrew also had interesting post related Maslow’s hierarchy of needs in gaming, and Maslow’s name pops up in Various bloggers, and comments about a variety of issues, from Girls gaming, and players in WoW.

This post was inspired by a comment, on a recent post of mine – about how I have been looking for a home. I haven’t found the perfect home yet. I wonder if it exists, and if I will keep searching in my pursuit of happiness/self actualisation.
I don’t wish to be a serial G quitter. Yet according to Warcraft realms Since starting playing in December 2006 I have been in 8 guilds, for various lengths of time.
My 1st Guild I was in for 6 months, and from then on, my Stays have been as short as a month, and as long as 4-5 months. My reasons for leaving each guild have been different. I don’t think Maslow has been considered quite this way in relation to where a players Guild history sit in an an individuals personal Hierarchy of gaming needs, but I’d like to explore where each of these steps in the Pyramid Pic below ( Picture courtesy of Wikipedia –Maslow’s Hierarchy of needs ) fit into what I got/needed from a guild, and if by moving up the pyramid my reasons for G quitting and moving on where part of my path to ‘self Actualisation’

I can see pretty clearly where the guilds I have been in fit into this pyramid, from my My first guild, a leveling guild that very much covered my basic needs, the Physiological, Safety, and Love/belonging needs in my Pyramid.( except the intimacy part ) to my current guild where I feel I am certainly in the middle of Esteem, but that the Love/belonging is being eroded away by one or two people.

There was also a time in my guild history where I regressed. A Guild of which I could consider my initial steps into Esteem had a very messy break up, and I went looking for those from my earlier comfort zones, for familiarity and to rebuild my 3rd tier of Love and belonging, but that short stay could not quash my desire for esteem. I needed more.

When I was not achieving the level of esteem I needed in my next guild ( healer not dps in naxx) I left – with the helpful prodding of some good bloggers advice I left and sought out a guild that would satisfy all my needs up to and including my Esteem tier, and here I am. In that place. Only to find that while I am being fulfilled on my Esteem tier, that the love/belonging tier seems to be crumbling beneath me.

Killing ’em Slowly said effectively in his post commenting on a debate between two other blogger Gevlon and Larissa that in regard to this Pyramid Love will break the Pyramid, “Putting someone else before yourself ” will beak it. Maybe what I am missing from my gaming experience in wow, and will never find on my current path is true ‘Love’ ? I have never played for extended periods with my real life friends. The ones that still play -( some came and went, and came and went again) , are on a PVP server Horde side. I have not had good experiences on the PVP server, all the usual negative you get from world Pvp, I didn’t like that playing solo I was often picked on, and camped by much higher toons, there are only so many times that you die due to unfair gankage before you have to walk away.

But true to ‘love’ I would have stayed healer for my real life friends if called to do it, I would be more tolerant of any lack of raiding professionalism and progression, But would real life friendship ‘love’ have been enough to stay, enough reasons to play, and more reasons to love playing the game.

No. By not raiding with my real life friends, I can keep a ‘detachment’ from obligation to some point, I can be self serving and ‘childish’ because I owe the avatars nothing. Now I have reached the place of Esteem I want. I can leave ‘Love/belonging’ behind to a point,

and Maybe that is my Self actualisation. If I can accomplish my detachment, choose progression over love, Uldar, over a bully – I am in the right vehicle to get there, I just need to wear earphones and not listen to the back seat driver that’s trying to push me off the road.

Stepping away from trappings of Love and belonging, and the need to be accepted by everyone.

Maybe that is my self actualisation.

Or maybe the song was right and “All you need is love” and my experience in wow will be enhanced in the long run, and be more then just about progression, if I re roll and be with my real friends.